Bella Brito Rattles 13-14 100 BR NAG At Carlsbad Sectionals, Pebley Returns

2022 CA/NV Speedo Sectionals

• March 3-6, 2022
• Alga Norte Community Park, Carlsbad, CA
• SCY (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2022 SI CA NV Speedo Sectionals”

Beach Cities Swimming’s Bella Brito narrowly missed the National Age Group Record in the girls’ 13-14 100 breaststroke at the CA/NV Sectionals meet in Carlsbad, Calif., over the weekend, clocking 1:00.06 to narrowly miss the mark by .04.

Brito, who already ranked second all-time in the age group coming into the meet with her best time of 1:00.62, was just shy of the 2015 NAG of 1:00.02, set by current NCAA star Alexis Wenger.

Taking second to Brito was Crow Canyon swimmer Raya Mellott, also 14, who clocked 1:00.60 to move into third all-time in age group history. Mellott previously ranked tied for 25th in the age group with her PB of 1:01.75.

Irvine Novaquatics’ 14-year-old Kaitlyn Nguyen also moved up from 66th into a tie for 48th in the age group with her best time of 1:02.20.

All-Time Rankings, Girls’ 13-14 100 Breaststroke (SCY)

1. Alexis Wenger (GPG), 1:00.02 – 2015
2. Bella Brito (CITI), 1:00.06 – 2022
3. Raya Mellott (CROW), 1:00.60 – 2022
4. Allie Raab (UN), 1:00.84 – 2015
5. Kaitlyn Conover-Emmert (PASA), 1:00.85 – 2019

In the 200 breast, Mellott (2:11.65) edged out Brito (2:11.79) for the victory, moving them up into eighth and ninth, respectively, in 13-14 age group history. Previously, the two ranked 46th and 47th with bests of 2:14.56 and 2:14.63, respectively.

PEBLEY RETURNS TO ACTION

2016 U.S. Olympian Jacob Pebley was in action for the first time in five months at the meet, repping North Coast Aquatics.

Pebley, who last raced in the ISL’s Season 3 ‘Play-In’ match in late September, won the men’s 100 backstroke in a time of 47.60 in what was his first SCY 100 back on record since going 47.24 in October of 2019.

The 28-year-old also placed fourth in the 100 free (44.66), not far off his lifetime best of 43.81 set in 2019, and he also swam on three North Coast relays, leading off the 4×100 medley (47.94) and swimming second on both the 4×100 free (44.09) and 4×200 free (1:37.67).

Irvine Novaquatics’ Jesse Novak, 27, won that 100 free in 43.37, less than a tenth outside of his lifetime best (43.29) set at the 2017 NCAA Division III Championships when he won the title for Rowan.

HARTMAN & CROM SHINE

Two of the top performers on the women’s side were Crow Canyon’s Bailey Hartman and Mission Viejo’s Katie Crom, who both piled up individual points and earned multiple victories.

Hartman roared to four individual wins and two more podium finishes, claiming the 200 free (1:46.33), 500 free (4:41.73), 100 fly (52.87) and 200 fly (1:55.70).

Hartman’s time in the 200 fly moves her up into 26th all-time in the girls’ 15-16 age group, having previously ranked 32nd with her PB of 1:55.95 set in December.

The 16-year-old also hit a monstrous best time of nearly four seconds in the 500 free, moving into a tie for 40th all-time among 15-16s, and also moves up into a tie for 47th all-time in the 100 fly. Hartman’s winning time in the 200 free was just off her PB of 1:45.58 set at Winter Juniors – West two and a half months ago, while she added another best in the 1000 free, dropping over 12 seconds to take third in 9:53.04.

In the 100 free, Hartman finished .02 off her best time in 49.56, with MVN’s Crom, booking the win in 48.97.

Crom, 18, also won the 200 IM (1:59.59) and took second to Hartman in the 200 free (1:48.68) and added two more top-three showings in the 50 free (23.15) and 100 fly (53.17). The 200 IM time marked a new personal best, well under her 2:02.48 from back in November 2018.

Crom also had a notable 1:45.98 split on the Nadadores’ winning 800 free relay, well under her lifetime best in the flat-start 200 free (1:47.57).

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

• La Mirada Armada’s Kayla Han raced four events individually, including picking up a massive win in the 400 IM. The 13-year-old clocked a time of 4:12.78, just off her PB of 4:12.27 (set in November) that ranks her ninth all-time among 13-14s. Han also neared best times in the 500 free (4:43.87) and 1000 free (9:53.55), taking second and fourth, respectively.
• Team Santa Monica’s Mattea Sokolow and Reno Aquatic Club’s Mia Karam both picked up multiple wins on the women’s side. Sokolow, 16, won the 1000 (9:51.11) and 1650 free (16:43.11), while Karam swept the 100 (52.87) and 200 back (1:54.58).
• 18-year-old Matthew Chai of FAST swept the men’s 500 free (4:17.46), 1000 free (8:51.61) and 1650 free (15:05.02). The 1000 free was a new best time and launches Chai up into 12th in 17-18 age group history, with his old PB (8:55.31) ranking him 22nd.
• Evolution Racing Club’s David Schmitt won both the 100 fly (47.52) and 200 fly (1:44.08), with the 200 fly time ranking the 17-year-old 49th in 17-18 history.
• Also winning multiple events was 16-year-old Humberto Najera of The Swim Team (TST), who clocked 1:44.68 in the 200 back to fall less than four-tenths shy of his PB (1:44.29) that ranks him 30th all-time among 15-16s. In the 200 IM, his winning time of 1:47.33 narrowly missed his best of 1:47.26 that sits in a tie for 44th in age group history.